Much of a modern web creative’s time is spent on the go. We pick our top 20 apps for mobile devices that you should download and install right away

We’re in the middle of a mobile app boom, with thousands upon thousands being released every week. Some are silly, some are serious, and some just plain suck. But there are a few that web designers and developers simply can’t do without. Here we unveil the cream of the crop: the time-savers, the speed-boosters and other tools that will make your working life a whole lot easier – whatever your mobile platform.

Whether you’re promoting your company, product or personal brand, Brad Haynes explains how to make the most of social networking

This shouldn’t be a big surprise: people act the same on social networks as they do in real life. Think of it like walking in the door of a big party with the friend of a friend of a friend. Facebook, Twitter, Ning communities, and those people at the house party all exhibit the same general rules of social interaction.

The mobile web is evolving at breakneck pace. Antony Ribot, CEO and co-founder of mobile web agency ribot, explores the wealth of money-making opportunities it offers to designers and developers

The mobile landscape is a complex and sometimes confusing place to be. Here we’ll take a look at the most popular platforms, operating systems and app stores and offer some quick and easy tips to making the most out of the opportunities they offer.

The next web design revolution will be typographic. But as Craig Grannell discovers, all is not plain sailing as we transition to real fonts

The number of blogs increases daily, and web design currently favours type-led minimalism over elaborate Flash-based interfaces – outside of websites for videogames and movies, anyway. However, online typography remains a sore point with many designers, who are increasingly irked by restrictions. “We’ve been limited to choosing fonts users already have installed, or embedding custom type by using images, which isn’t practical,” complains Yahoo front-end engineer Jonathan Snook.

How do you keep your website up to date and relevant, without having to constantly overhaul the design, content and code? Craig Grannell quizzes industry talent about the best ways to ensure your website doesn’t expire through neglect

When it comes to futureproofing your site, the obvious starting point is to write, clean, semantic, standards-compliant code. “Proper separation of content, presentation and interaction means your site’s content will always be available on new devices,” says Opera web evangelist Bruce Lawson. “And if you have to tweak things, such as adding media queries to support mobile devices, it’s easier to find the right place.” But while standards-compliant code may be a necessity, it’s not enough in itself to ensure your site is future proof.